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In Windows XP when an application that doesn't currently have the focus wants to attract the user's attention its Taskbar item blinks. Often it blinks 3 times and then stops, which is fine. However, sometimes it just keeps blinking forever. An example of that is Firefox with a new JavaScript confirmation dialog. This is really annoying if I don't want to switch to that application just now - I basically cannot focus on anything else because of this stupid blinking thing distracting me! How do I force all apps to blink only 3 times (or X times) and then stop?

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  • Oh I remember that horrible thing, don't recall seeing it on Vista, and no problems on Win7. Sep 18, 2009 at 1:02

2 Answers 2

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You can accomplish this with Tweak UI, part of Microsoft's PowerToys for Windows XP.

Download and install Tweak UI (or click here for the 64-bit version), and fire it up. Expand the General section, and click on Focus. Check the "Prevent applications from stealing focus" checkbox, and then click on "Flash taskbar button X times" (where you can set the number of times it flashes).

The default value is 3 - or at least on my computer it is :)

Here's a picture to show you exactly what I mean:

Tweak UI Picture

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  • Thanks, but it looks like there's no Tweak UI for XP x64 (only 32-bit and IA64). I suspect it modifies the same registry entry Molly mentioned, which is already set to 3.
    – EMP
    Sep 18, 2009 at 1:21
  • No, you linked to the 32-bit version, which is good, but I'm running XP x64 and there seems to be no TweakUI for that at all!
    – EMP
    Sep 18, 2009 at 1:35
  • Dude, softpedia.com/get/Tweak/System-Tweak/… works on 64-bit computers. It's what I used on my downstairs PC. Sep 18, 2009 at 1:44
  • Ah, thanks, the second link does work for me. Unfortunately, that setting is already set to "3 times" as in your screenshot.
    – EMP
    Sep 18, 2009 at 2:01
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Start > Run > type REGEDIT and click OK.

Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Create or modify the DWORD value ForegroundFlashCount and set the value to 3.

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  • Thanks, but it's already set to 3. :(
    – EMP
    Sep 18, 2009 at 1:18
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    change it to 1
    – Molly7244
    Sep 18, 2009 at 1:44
  • Doesn't help - it still keeps blinking.
    – EMP
    Sep 18, 2009 at 4:04
  • Try zero? Would that work? Sep 18, 2009 at 6:35
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    zero keeps 'em flashing indefinetely.
    – Molly7244
    Sep 18, 2009 at 9:51

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